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Why are Boy Scouts contemplating suicide?

The Boy Scouts of America ‚Äď one of the last truly great American
institutions, which for 100 years has prepared tens of millions of boys
for responsible manhood ‚Äď is reportedly on the verge of changing its
policy on homosexuals.

As NBC News first reported yesterday,
BSA is talking about reversing, as early as next week, its decades-old
policy of excluding homosexuals as adult leaders and scouts.

Indeed, yesterday Smith did a complete 180 in disclosing in a press statement
that BSA is now discussing ending the organization‚Äôs decades-long moral
standard and, instead, deferring to the local chartering organizations
to decide what their own membership standards will be ‚Äď ‚Äúconsistent with
each organization‚Äôs mission, principles, or religious beliefs.‚ÄĚ

‚ÄúThe policy change under discussion,‚ÄĚ Smith explained, ‚Äúwould allow
the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and
deliver scouting to determine how to address this issue.‚ÄĚ In other
words, the BSA would abandon its prohibition on homosexuals and every
local Boy Scout troop or Cub Scout pack could do whatever it wanted.

As one might expect, traditionally minded Americans are alarmed. They
warn this change would spell the end of the Boy Scouts as they have
always known it ‚Äď a quintessentially American, moral and God-based
private organization, as exemplified in the Scout Oath ‚Äúto keep myself
physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.‚ÄĚ

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins pinpointed the main
reason for the BSA‚Äôs change of thinking ‚Äď namely, the attacks on their
funding sources by activist homosexuals. Said Perkins:

‚ÄúThe Boy Scouts of America board would be making a
serious mistake to bow to the strong-arm tactics of LGBT activists and
open the organization to homosexuality. What has changed in terms of the
Boy Scouts‚Äô concern for the well-being of the boys under their care? Or
is this not about the well-being of the Scouts, but the funding for the
organization?

‚ÄúThe Boy Scouts has for decades been a force for moral integrity and
leadership in the United States. Sadly, their principled stances have
marked them as a target for harassment by homosexual activists and
corporations such as UPS which are working to pressure the Boy Scouts
into abandoning their historic values.‚ÄĚ

However, there is a second, largely unmentioned and potentially even
more devastating reason that such a move on the part of the Boy Scouts‚Äô
national leadership would spell serious trouble for the organization,
one that goes beyond the sad fact that many good people would walk away
from the BSA for abandoning its principles.

Although under-reported in the press, the BSA, like the Catholic
Church, has had a long struggle with predatory scout leaders embedding
themselves in scout units and using the authority, familiarity and good
will that goes with that position to sexually exploit boys and young
men.

On an average of more than once a week for the past two
decades, a Cub Scout, Boy Scout or Explorer has reported being sexually
abused by a Scout leader.
An investigation by The Washington Times shows that at least 1,151
Scouts have reported being abused by their leaders over the past 19
years, making sex abuse more common in Scouting than accidental deaths
and serious injuries combined.

In that time, at least 416 men have been arrested or banned from
Scouting for molesting the boys in their care ‚Äď and experts say the real
number of abusers and victims is probably several times higher.

Those are among the findings of an investigation that turned up abuse
by Scout leaders in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

‚ÄúI was naive to think the Boy Scouts was such a safe place,‚ÄĚ said the
mother of a Maryland boy abused by his Scoutmaster. ‚ÄúI thought the Boy
Scouts was a sanctuary.‚ÄĚ

In fact, the examination of sex abuse in Scouting reveals a
long-standing paradox for the nation‚Äôs most revered youth group: For 80
years the Boy Scouts of America have given boys some of the best
experiences of their lives, but for 80 years some men have used the Boy
Scouts of America to have sexual relations with those boys.

‚ÄúThat‚Äôs been an issue since the Boy Scouts began,‚ÄĚ said James Tarr, the nation‚Äôs chief Scout executive from 1979 through 1984.

In his reporting, Boyle does not implicate homosexuals as such, but
refers to all of the predatory adult scouters as pedophiles or
molesters.

Hold that thought while we fast-forward to today:

In 2010, the London Guardian newspaper reported
that ‚ÄúAmerica‚Äôs Scouting movement is fighting to keep secret thousands
of ‚Äėperversion files‚Äô on suspected child molesters after it was ordered
to pay record damages over the sexual abuse of a former Scout.‚ÄĚ
Describing a ‚Äúgrowing scandal threatening to rival the crisis hitting
the Roman Catholic church,‚ÄĚ the UK paper reported that BSA ‚Äúhas been
accused of covering up decades of child abuse‚ÄĚ to protect the
organization‚Äôs reputation.

It reported that an Oregon jury heard the case of former scout Kerry
Lewis, ‚Äúwho was repeatedly assaulted by a former assistant scoutmaster,
Timur Dykes, in the 1980s.‚ÄĚ Dykes, the paper reported, ‚Äúhad admitted to a
superior in the Scouts that he had abused boys, but was allowed to
remain in the organization and is alleged to have sexually assaulted
several other children who are also taking legal action.‚ÄĚ

Get the picture? Just as in some Catholic dioceses, someone in
authority with the Boy Scouts made the unwise and unprincipled decision
to protect the organization rather than rat out the perpetrator and
protect children.

There‚Äôs more:

The judge in the case overruled the Scouts‚Äô attempts to
keep the jury from seeing about 1,200 files kept by the organization on
suspected pedophiles. Kelly Clark, Lewis‚Äôs lawyer, told the jury that
while the files were often used to remove child abusers from the
Scouting movement, many were allowed to remain in the organization. He
said that the Scouts rarely alerted the police and when they did, the
movement asked the authorities to avoid publicity. Clark told the jury
that the Scouting leadership had been ‚Äúreckless and outrageous‚ÄĚ in
failing to warn parents and boys about the problem.

The jury agreed and awarded Lewis $18.5 million, the largest-ever
award to a single plaintiff in a U.S. child-abuse case, according to the
Telegraph.

The files shown to the jury ‚Äúwere not made public and are just a
small part of what is believed to be a cache of as many as 6,000 held at
the Scouts‚Äô headquarters in Texas, dating back to the 1920s,‚ÄĚ the
report added.

‚ÄúWe said they had 75 years of secret files about pedophiles, and
that‚Äôs the way the evidence came in. I think that fact in itself was
just staggering to the jury,‚ÄĚ said Clark, Lewis‚Äôs lawyer. ‚ÄúThey had a
regular practice of placing guys on probation and then they would allow
them to continue to be active in Scouting, not unlike some of what you
saw in the Catholic church.‚ÄĚ

Now the big question in all this, of course, is the following: With
these sex-abuse cases within the Boy Scouting organization, just as
those within the Catholic Church, are we dealing with actual
‚Äúpedophiles‚ÄĚ or with predatory homosexuals?

Virtually all defenders of the gay agenda will angrily denounce the
mere suggestion that homosexuals could be victimizers here, or that the
two groups could even overlap.

Yet while the London Telegraph and many others note the striking
similarity between ‚Äúpedophiles‚ÄĚ in the Boy Scouts and ‚Äúpedophile
priests‚ÄĚ in the Catholic Church, there is a disturbing if little-known
reality to all this:

Contrary to the media myth that the Catholic Church‚Äôs problems are
primarily with ‚Äúpedophile priests‚ÄĚ ‚Äď terminology which safely absolves
homosexuals from suspicion ‚Äď the major portion of the church‚Äôs
sexual-abuse problem has been the infiltration of its seminaries by
homosexuals. In fact, widespread cases of predatory homosexual priests
created a full-blown crisis for the church.

‚ÄúThe real problem the Catholic Church faces,‚ÄĚ explains Father Donald
B. Cozzens, author of ‚ÄúThe Changing Face of the Priesthood,‚ÄĚ is the
‚Äúdisproportionate number of gay men that populate our seminaries.‚ÄĚ

Or as former California Congressman Bob Dornan put it, ‚Äúthe Catholic Church in this country has been penetrated by an aggressive homosexual network.‚ÄĚ

And National Review senior writer Rod Dreher put it even more bluntly:
‚ÄúThis is chiefly a scandal about unchaste or criminal homosexuals in
the Catholic priesthood. ‚Ä¶ The overwhelming majority of priests who have
molested minors are not pedophiles ‚Äď that is ‚Ä¶ among the rare adults
sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children. They are, rather,
‚Äúephebophiles‚ÄĚ ‚Äď adults who are sexually attracted to post-pubescent
youths, generally aged 12 to 17. And their victims have been almost
exclusively boys.‚ÄĚ

‚ÄúPedophilia‚ÄĚ is, by definition, sexual contact with a pre-pubescent
child. Most of the boys molested by ‚Äúpedophile priests‚ÄĚ have been
pubescent teens. Likewise, in the scout world, although we can
comfortably indulge the fantasy that there is a wide gulf between the
land of homosexuals and the land of same-sex pedophiles, this does not
comport with the known facts. (If you want, you can read Scientific American‚Äôs explanation here ‚Äď but bottom line, many of these sex-abuse cases, whether in Scouts or in church, do not involve actual pedophiles.)

The Washington Times ‚Äď which for its in-depth investigation reviewed
‚Äúinternal Scout records and tens of thousands of pages of court records
from around the country, including confessions of molesters and
testimony from children,‚ÄĚ and also interviewed ‚Äúmolesters, families of
victims, Scout leaders, sex abuse experts and lawyers‚ÄĚ and analyzed the
cases on a computer database ‚Äď discovered the following:

Each year from 1971 through 1989, an average of at least
21 male Scout leaders and camp workers were banned from Scouting or
arrested for sexual misconduct with Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and
Explorers. The acts ranged from proposing sex acts and fondling boys in
their sleep to performing oral sex and intercourse with the children.

Pause-button, please. Cub Scouting is for boys 7 to 10, the Boy
Scouts is open to boys 11 to 18, and Explorers (which was replaced in
1998 by Venturing) is for 14-to-20-year-olds. The average age of puberty
for males in the U.S. is 13.
Although it‚Äôs politically incorrect in the extreme, it has to be said:
In the homosexual subculture, sexual attraction toward young teen boys
is far more prevalent and prized than gay activists would like you to
know.

Moreover, predators are known to go where the children are. And that
means the Boy Scouts are arguably at even higher risk of sexual-abuse on
a broad scale than the Catholic Church was and is. That is why BSA has
instituted one of the best Youth Protection Training programs in the world, as a direct response to predators in their midst.

How ironic and unfortunate, then, that the Boy Scouts are now being
so pressured that they are contemplating opening themselves up to
lawsuits, to disgrace, and to huge jury awards and out-of-court
settlements. After all, by changing their policy on homosexual leaders,
the BSA would be adopting a more overt and inviting stance toward
homosexual leaders than the Catholic Church ever did ‚Äď essentially
advertising for homosexual adult ‚Äúscouters.‚ÄĚ

If you do not think lawsuits, test cases, de facto recruitment and de facto
affirmative action will not follow adoption of this policy, then you do
not understand the political and moral left. If you think the vast gay
rights lobby will finally leave the Scouts alone, once the policy
reversal occurs (if it does), you do not understand the left.

Just as bed-and-breakfasts, photographers and many other business are
routinely sued today by homosexual activists as a tactical means of
advancing their position, the scouting organization will likewise fall
prey to this long-term legal strategy if it betrays its own commitment
to being ‚Äúmorally straight.‚ÄĚ

America is in a time of great crisis on many fronts, and much that is
good we are in danger of permanently losing. The Boy Scouts of America
is one of the most important and loved and truly valuable organizations
in American history. It is literally a sacred trust between one
generation and the next. The Supreme Court is on their side. Public
opinion is on their side. God is on their side.

Why on earth would they trade all this away by giving in to pressure from people who detest them and everything they stand for?

A little bit of America will die if the Boy Scouts organization gives
in to the pressure and makes this decision. You might want to let them
know how you feel. You can reach the Boy Scouts of America at
972-580-2000. Tell them how much you appreciate them ‚Äď and tell them to
stand strong.

Should the Boy Scouts accept homosexual leaders and members?

No, it will be the death of the organization, and more boys will be victimized by sexual predators (37%, 416 Votes)

No, doing so would make a mockery of the Boy Scout oath to stay 'morally straight' (29%, 322 Votes)

No, they'd be turning their backs on their core Judeo-Christian
foundation. Christians and other religious groups will boycott them (23%, 260 Votes)

Homosexuals should just start their own Gay Scouts of America (4%, 44 Votes)

No, boys who are homosexual should join the Girl Scouts (2%, 18 Votes)

No, it would be like the Catholic Church mandating homosexual priests (2%, 17 Votes)

No, if they do it, it will also mean transsexual and transvestite scout masters and scouts (less than 1%, 9 Votes)

Other (less than 1%, 6 Votes)

No, there's a reason the Girl Scouts have lost so much credibility and popularity (less than 1%, 6 Votes)

Yes, discriminating against homosexuals is no different than an organization excluding blacks and Jews (less than 1%, 5 Votes)

No, they will be targeted with test-case lawsuits to force homosexual recruitment (less than 1%, 4 Votes)

Yes, it's past time the organization acknowleged homosexuals are people too (less than 1%, 4 Votes)

Yes, it's time to be fair to all people (less than 1%, 2 Votes)

Yes, as long as the decision to welcome homosexuals is left to local troops (less than 1%, 1 Votes)

Yes, and there should be affirmative action to recruit more homosexuals (less than 1%, 1 Votes)

Yes, but they should begin forming all-gay troops (0%, 0 Votes)

Yes, and they should be forced to pay reparations for discriminating against a whole class of people (0%, 0 Votes)

That is the point, the first time they say no to a gay man that wants to be a scout leader, let the law suits begin. By this all coming from the local level, the national BSA is off the hook.

Quoting TCgirlatheart:

Why? They still get to choose who to allow in, that hasn't changed.

Quoting candlegal:

I guess it depends on what kind of of a troop you are in. The ones around here aren't happy at all.

Quoting rfurlongg:

I disagree. The perception of it being forced is not shared my most local scouts. We are heavily involved in the scouts for our region and several of our local troops have been very active to change the scouts stance on Gays.It is often said that lasting change comes from within. If you want to improve the scouts and make them better push for the change you want. While the top may feel it is forced, it is highly welcomed and long over due at local levels. The future of scouts does not sit at the top but it comes with those moving up the ranks, and many (if not most)support this change. Those that do not, will simply leave just as many left when the scouts were chose to integrate.

Quoting candlegal:

No organization will stay the same or ever get any better if they are running it with a "we better cover our butt" attitude. It has nowhere to go but downhill.

Quoting rfurlongg:

Regardless, I still see it as positive. Ultimately in the long run this will strengthen and increase the longevity of the scouts.

Quoting candlegal:

The organization is getting ready to cover their butts in a very big way.

Quoting rfurlongg:

My sons are scouts. I fully this change of policy. The change is coming from within the organization. It reflects the growth of the boy scouts. Those who do not like the direction the scouts are taking are welcome to leave.

I'm afraid the author of the article and all the posts I read (I didn't read even nearly all of them), are missing one very, very important fact. At least I believe it to be a fact...

The Boy Scouts organization is not making this move to 'change the boy scouts', but to limit their liability.

It is a brilliant move, in that respect.

Once they divest themselves of all responsibility for running any actual troops, and throw it all off on the local organization, they may also hamstring or at least delay by YEARS, even decades, any ongoing or future attempts to prosecute them for reassigning molesters instead of removing them from the Boy Scouts in years past.

It's really, honestly, brilliant, from a legal point of view. The organization will still receive monies from the local organizations, but throw all responsibility onto them and none onto themselves. This should do an amazing job of protecting their finances.

From a point of view of morality, it is, admittedly, somewhat less than ethical or responsible. But from a financial and legal standpoint, brilliant. Really.

In one sense, I think that it is quite possible that reassigning or relocating suspected molesters was how just about any organization used to handle it. So it can be argued that just about any organization that has existed for any length of time, has most likely handled the problem of child molesting employees or members, in the same way.

However, not all people believe that this reassignment/relocation is something all organizations have done.

I have read a number of authors who feel reassignment is a peculiarly Christian way that Christian organizations have dealt with molesting members or employees.

Much of the reassignment/relocation of molesters is based on a old belief - not that prayer and Christian counsel could cure the molester (which some authors have eagerly claimed), but that the victim bears much or all, of the responsibility for 'attracting' the molester.

Therefore, remove the molester from the victim, problem solved.

There is also the peculiar idea behind this, that there is some sort of 'normal' relationship beneath this, rather than an adult taking advantage of a child. But the idea is to 'end the relationship'. Do that, and the problem will be resolved.

As for the claim that the article makes that 'the gays' are the ones molesting young and preteen and young teen children, nothing is completely impossible in a world with billions of people, but in general, no.

In the past, it was often said by radical right wingers that homosexuals attacked children and 'turned them gay', and that they had a peculiar prediliction for children. This was just one more reason we should think they were evil and do our best to rid the world of them, one more reason it was ok to harrass and harm them.

People who sexually molest children and young preteens, are generally not also homosexuals. There is some research evidence that backs up the two as being biologically different.

When I think of child abusers, I get a picture in my mind of Jerry Sandusky with that peculiar, flat, emotionless, dull expression of his.

I'm afraid the author of the article and all the posts I read (I didn't read even nearly all of them), are missing one very, very important fact. At least I believe it to be a fact...

The Boy Scouts organization is not making this move to 'change the boy scouts', but to limit their liability.

It is a brilliant move, in that respect.

Once they divest themselves of all responsibility for running any actual troops, and throw it all off on the local organization, they may also hamstring or at least delay by YEARS, even decades, any ongoing or future attempts to prosecute them for reassigning molesters instead of removing them from the Boy Scouts in years past.

It's really, honestly, brilliant, from a legal point of view. The organization will still receive monies from the local organizations, but throw all responsibility onto them and none onto themselves. This should do an amazing job of protecting their finances.

From a point of view of morality, it is, admittedly, somewhat less than ethical or responsible. But from a financial and legal standpoint, brilliant. Really.

In one sense, I think that it is quite possible that reassigning or relocating suspected molesters was how just about any organization used to handle it. So it can be argued that just about any organization that has existed for any length of time, has most likely handled the problem of child molesting employees or members, in the same way.

However, not all people believe that this reassignment/relocation is something all organizations have done.

I have read a number of authors who feel reassignment is a peculiarly Christian way that Christian organizations have dealt with molesting members or employees.

Much of the reassignment/relocation of molesters is based on a old belief - not that prayer and Christian counsel could cure the molester (which some authors have eagerly claimed), but that the victim bears much of the responsibility for 'attracting' the molester.

As for the claim that the article makes that 'the gays' are the ones molesting young and preteen and young teen children, nothing is completely impossible in a world with billions of people, but in general, no.

In the past, it was often said by radical right wingers that homosexuals attacked children and 'turned them gay', and that they had a peculiar prediliction for children. This was just one more reason we should think they were evil and do our best to rid the world of them, one more reason it was ok to harrass and harm them.

People who sexually molest children and young preteens, are generally not also homosexuals. There is some research evidence that backs up the two as being biologically different.

When I think of child abusers, I get a picture in my mind of Jerry Sandusky with that peculiar, flat, emotionless, dull expression of his.

Assume you are talkin about my second point... To which I say... Hi, I'm a mom who disagreed with the ban and so since my sons would not be joining have lived under a rock as far as current news (with the exception of my brother talking about returning his eagle award)...

Quoting candlegal:

Really, have you read what has been going on in there lately and how much has been covered up?

Quoting terpmama:

First... Many many many eagle scouts (like my brother) sent their awards back to show their dislike of the anti homosexual policy. So it's not just the gays.

Second the BSA has one of the most proactive policy regarding pedophilia and teaching boys how to stay safe and thus one of the lowest occurances of problems of any group.

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